Here at Hummingbird we are working toward our mission everyday.
- We offer Organic, high-quality, nutritious foods grown as locally and sustainably as possible.
- We take great care and pride in creating long-term, mutually beneficial relationships.
- Like the Hummingbird, we seek to sip the nectar of the Earth without harming the flower.
Our mission links us inextricably with farms and farmers. At its best, farming is an act of environmental and social stewardship. Now, that’s certainly an easy thing to say—especially if you are not a farmer. We know it’s a tougher thing to live. And farmers are some of the hardest working people we know.
So, we owe it to them to try to live by our words and help them achieve the organic, sustainable production we value. We call this: Distributor Supported Agriculture.
DISTRIBUTOR SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE
• First, we look for and buy from farmers whose growing, manufacturing and packaging practices mesh with our own values.
• We seek out growers who engage in social responsibility, ethical relationships, and deliver products that promote health and vitality. (Read about our sourcing standards).
• We donate at least 1% of annual profits toward organic research, educational programs for farmers, and other projects striving to build a healthy, organic food system.
• We played an integral role in supporting a local farm to establish Camas Country Mill. It is the first regional grain mill to be operating in the Willamette Valley for some 80 years, and a place where Oregon-grown grains can be locally milled into flour.
• We host an incubator kitchen to foster small food businesses that are developing innovative and healthy food products.
OUR FARM CONNECTIONS PROGRAM
Another piece of this cooperative effort is our Farm Connections program. It’s an effort to share in some of the endless risks growers face.
• We help farmers plan crops based on expected markets
• We contract for planted acreage at a guaranteed price
• We help with seed purchases for certain crops
• We provide marketing support
We are proud that many of our suppliers and growers have been selling to us for more than 20 years.